Black Waltz (Part 1)
by Chibi Acky
Summary: A new breed of evil decides to infect the world and kill off people one by one... starting with the dove of peace... HY x RP Please R &R so I know if I should finish it or not.... :)
1. Enter the Shadows

Black Waltz- I  
By Chibi Acky  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing owns me!!!! AHHHHH!  
  
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The four shadowed figures slipped easily passed the drugged guard, smirking quietly to themselves and relishing in the simplicity of their mission.  
  
Drug the guard, infect the girl, get out.  
  
The leader of the pack, let a finger fly in front of his face, signalling for one of the men to enter the room before him, and the two to remain, standing guard. The leader's mutated face was hidden under a dark robe, but the men with him could *feel* his devious grin.  
  
Little Princess... Little princess... He sat down on the side of her bed, gazing at her almost sickenly, his sullen eyes gleaming as he watched her petite form shiver. The honey-haired girl gripped a small bear in her ears, mumbling in her sleep. The other unhumanlike man he had entered with, retrieved a small bag from under his black robes.  
  
"Maaaaassssssstttteeeeeeeer..." He hissed, handing the leader a syringe filled with a black and green ooze. Without any hiestation, he slid the needle into her arm, noting her wince and a lone tear fall down her cheek. But she didn't wake up, and soon, she never would.  
  
Once more, an evil grin found a way to his dark and twisted lips.  
  
Once more, a young woman cried out in her sleep.  
  
========================  
  
"Oh Relena! It's Christmas, can't you smile?" Dorothy chidded her friend and her lack of enthusiasm for the annual ball.  
  
"You're only smiling because Quatre's going to be there." Relena huffed through her bathroom door, absently rubbing a sore spot on her arm.  
  
"Mr. Winner and I have only the intent of discussing business!" Dorothy replied a little to quickly.  
  
Sure, sure... That's why you have have you're little pet names for each other, Relena mentally mumbled, I heard you call him Q-chan the other day!  
  
"Miss Relena! Open up the door or we'll be late!" She could pratically see the smoke coming out of Dorothy's ears. Relena turned and looked one last time in the mirror, straightening her pure white dress, and running a brush through her hair. She had spent at least thirty minutes braiding the upper portion and curing the bottom half in tiny ringlets.   
  
"And we wouldn't want you to miss your sweet lil'Q-chan!" Relena hadn't realized she'd said it outloud until she saw the look on Dorothy's face.  
  
"What. Did. You. Say?" Dorothy's teeth were clenched and her face was bright red.  
  
"Nothing!" Relena blew a rasberry at her friend, pulling a matching cardigan on, and shivering involuntarily. The ugly black bruise on her arm had been hidden for now.  
  
  
======================  
  
"Madame! What a pleasure to see you!" A rather pudgy man trudged his way through the crowded room. His bald head gleamed, and his suit looked like it was about to burst at the seams. Relena visably straightened, and her eyes flashed helplessly to her brother.  
  
"I've got my hands full as it is!" he mouthed, indicating the swarming (and swooning) females that had gathered around him. Noin looked ready to shoot anyone who dared to take another step forward.  
  
"Thanks, some help you are!" She mouthed back, narrowing her eyes dangerously. He sighed again helplessly. The man was approaching fast, and Relena found herself drowning in a sea of dispair.  
  
Until her knight came and swept her off her feet.  
  
Literally.  
  
"Oh darling! What a pleasure it is to see you again!" Relena nearly fainted as Heero lifted her into his arms and swung her around. "Play along." He whispered in her ear as he set her down.  
  
"And same to you!" Was the earnest reply. Heero noted that the approaching man didn't appear fazed by the show of "affection." Taking measures into his own hands, he dipped her down gazing into her surprised eyes and gave her a passionate kiss. The room seemed to freeze until two people burst out:  
  
"All right 'Jousan! Way to win 'em!" Duo cheered from the back.  
  
"YUUUUUUUUUUYYYYYYYY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER?!?!"  
  
The pudgy man in the tight suit walked right by them to his wife standing behind them.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Relena wrapped her arms around her body and fell backwards onto her bed, still smiling giddily. The look on Heero's face when Milliardo had approached him was absolutely priceless. She turned over onto her stomach, and sighed deeply remembering that he did in fact leave after that. But what did she care? He had kissed her, even if it was to get the stinky fat man away....  
  
He had done it for *her*.  
  
And that was all that mattered...  
  
She grinned again, until she leaned on her sore arm, and in turn, let a pained gasp escape her lips. She took her sweater off, bringing her arm out in front of her to inspect it. Biting her bottom lip, she examined the purple swelling and bruising that stared up angerily at her.  
  
"I don't understand..." She whispered, touching it. She coughed, hacking up the most unslightly and horrifing thing she could have imagined.  
  
There, on her pale, delicate hand, was crimson blood.  
  
Stumbling to her feet, she made a dash to her bathroom, throwing up into toilet. She was silently wishing it would swallow her up. Blood? On her hands? The thought made her sick again. Realizing she was only throwing up more of the deep red liquid, she forced herself to look up into the mirror.  
  
Omae wa ore no mono da   
She read it over and over again, until she was lifted to her feet.   
"You do not belong to anyone... calm down, Relena... shhhh..." It was those eyes that had gazed into hers eariler in the evening. Had he followed her up? Had he watched her the entire time? Her head was whirling, "Hee-ro.... what a-re... you doing... in my r-oom?" She fumbled.  
  
He didn't say anything and that didn't come as any surprise to her. "Wha-what does it mean Hee-ro?" Was she shivering? She was definately shaking uncontrollably; whatever did the words on the mirror mean.  
  
"It's in Japanese."  
  
Well, duh, I mean, even she could figure that out. That word "omae" was *quite* familiar to her. "Bu-but wha-what does it mean?" He set her down on the in front of the seat of her vanity mirror, and grabbed a towel, and tried to wipe the black markings off. It didn't budge or smear, no matter how hard he tried. He cursed and turned around to face Relena who had been studying his back.  
  
"You don't want to know."  
  
"I'll just look it up, it wou-would be better to hear it fro-from you though." He walked over and wrapped a towel around her shivering form. "T-tell me!" She was getting angry with him now.  
  
He muttered something under his breath.  
  
"What?" Relena stood up, walking over.   
  
"You belong to me."  
  
"WHAT?!" She wasn't shivering now, she was shaking with anger, "Heero Yuy-! I don't know what to say-!"  
  
"That's what it says!" He sounded as panicked as only the Perfect Soldier could. She seemed to sigh in relief, "Oh, alright. And I thought it was something threatening!" She smiled weakly as he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You don't find that someone sneaking into your room and vandalizing your property with ominous comments, threatening?"   
  
"Nah, it's gets old after a while." She paused, motioning for him to follow her out of her bathroom, "By the way, what are you doing in my room?" She put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Hn."  
  
No answers, as usual. Glancing her over one more time, he turned his back to her, "Are you sick?" It seemed like such an innocent question, something a little boy would have asked another child.   
  
"I don't feel well." Now she was the little girl, talking to her companion.  
  
"Then you should rest."  
  
"I don't want to."  
  
"You should rest." She sighed, no use fighting with him. She climed into bed, cursing her lack of strength in the matter. Surprisingly enough, instead of walking out the door like she naturally assumed he would, he sauntered over and pulled her covers over.  
  
She stared questioningly at him, "What-?" She didn't recieve a reply as he plunked himself down in a chair in the far side of the room.  
  
"I promised I'd protect a long time ago."  
  
Relena smiled lazily in her sleep, muttering, "Goodnight, Heero."  
  
"Goodnight Relena."  
  
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*Frowns* Oh man, I started a new story... I'm kinda depressed... only two people reviewed the last part of The Circle Game... Did you all not like it? Did you even know it was out there? That's right, it is! Click on my author profile and look for it... I won't continue until I get at least five reviews. I know it's bad... but I think I'm losing my "touch" with fics.  
  
I love my Final Fantasy 9 game, so if I don't post, that's where I am! *thinks* Gee, I wonder where I got the title for this fic from... *giggles* Oh, and Fiore-chan, if you're reading this, I'd be happy to read you fic if you still want me to! I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to anyone lately... and to the people who have asked me to BETA read for them, I've been absolutely swamped. Please, give me a couple more days, the hotmail people emailed me telling me my account was too big. :( Stinky Hotmail people! They ruin all my fun! Anyways, I need to just go through everything...  
  
luvs and hugs  
Chibi Acky  
  
http://kiss.to/gyousei  
  
PS I was originally going to call this "Momento Mori" (Remember you must die) but someone used it! Grrrr.....  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. What's Wrong?

Black Waltz (part 2)  
By Chibi Acky  
Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, I ain't got no loot, I only got the clothes on my back, and one shiny boot! *grins* (In other words, I don't own Gundam Wing, but my lil'song was *SO* much more spiffy!)  
  
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[A month after the party...]  
  
There he was, surrounded by almost a surreal aura. It was only the love of her life, standing there, leaning in, and wrapping his strong arms around her. "Would you do something for me... anything for me?" He whispered huskily in her ear.  
  
"Anything." She swore.  
  
"... THEN GET UP!!!!" A voice jerked her from the beautiful dream.  
  
She knew that the moment she opened her eyes, she would be faced with the burden of disappointment.  
  
And as usual, she was correct.  
  
Instead of her knight in shining armor, before her lay her faithful butler, Pagan. She groaned inwardly, and rolled back over. "Go. Away." Her words came out in a slur and were muffled by her pillow. This was the game they played every morning; Pagan would attempt to wake her, she'd roll over and go back to sleep, he'd tell her what time it was, and she's run screaming out of bed.  
  
Simple as that.  
  
"Miss Relena, it's nine o'clock, you have a meeting in a half an hour."  
  
"WWHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!" Why didn't you WAKE ME UP EARLIER?!?!" She screeched, throwing off the covers and dashing like a mad woman. Pagan smiled as he picked up her clock, readjusting the time to seven AM. He still had a lead over her after all these years.  
  
And yet, as he turned to make her bed, he couldn't help but notice the bright red stains on her pillow...  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
  
"So, what's the agenda today, dear?" Noin teased her husband over coffee. He glanced up from his paper and gave her a dazzling smile, "Well... Relena has a meeting later, but after that..." He gave her a "mischievous" wink, and she felt her face burn red uncharacteristically.  
  
Relena managed to slump into the room, tying her long hair back with the usual teal ribbon. "Sleep well last night?" Her brother inquired as she nearly tripped over her own feet. Shooting him a dirty look, she reached for an apple, "Not really."  
  
"What's wrong?" Noin passed a worried look to her sister in-law.  
  
The world. War. Pain. Death. That's all wrong. Relena thought with a smug expression on her face. "I don't know, must be the stress." She slid into the seat at the opposite end of her brother and Noin (who still wanted to be called that even though it wasn't her name anymore... go figure...) hoping and mentally praying they wouldn't see the dark circles under her eyes.  
  
"You've been acting strange lately, Relena, we need to know if something is wrong." Her brother had finally put down the paper all together, and he and his wife stared with... pity? Why ever would they have a reason to pity her? As far as she was concerned, they had been through a hell of a lot more than she had prior and during the war.  
  
"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."  
  
"No... Relena, you're not fine... you're pale, you're way to thin, you're becoming clumsy, and the dark circles-" Relena finally cut Noin off.  
  
"Noin, if I had wanted to be insulted, I would have gone to visit Wufei." Both Noin and Milliardo's eyes twitched at the mention of their fellow Preventer's name, "I'm sorry Relena, but you have to understand that we're just worried about you..."  
  
"No you're not." Relena's bitter and angry statement made Milliardo met her eyes sharply, "And you shouldn't be either. I'm not a little girl anymore, when are you going to understand that?"  
  
"Relena we know, just try to think about-" Relena cut her off again. "Don't patronize me, Miss Lucretzia. We've been through everything together, and yet you still feel you have to watch over me like a mother goose... when are you going to start trusting me?" Wondering how the subject had gone from appearance to trust in a matter of seconds, she let her husband take over the conversation.  
  
Milliardo tried to control the tone of his voice from showing any hint of panic or hurt, "Relena, you're my sister. I'll always trust you."  
  
"And that's the reason that you instruct Preventers to follow me everywhere, right? You know, they'd follow me into the bathroom if I didn't beat them off. I *know* there are people out there that don't like me, I *understand* some people don't agree with views on pacifism, I *realize* that half the world still thinks I'm some naive fifteen year old."  
  
"But you're not, look at all the things you've accomplished, everyone is proud of you. We're proud of you, and I'm positive mother and father would be too." He softened his hard gaze at the sign of her tears.  
  
"How can you even bring them into this? Even if I were to meet the again in the afterlife, I'd still hide my face in shame! People are calling me their savior just because of a petty position I held for not even a year! I surrendered my kingdom without putting up a fight and have almost completely abandoned my ideals of absolute pacifism. We're both the same, you and I." She cried, turning her back to him. "You, you hid behind a false death after the battle with Libra... I didn't even know if you were alive until you almost came close to dying again!" She let out a choked sob, "And I had to deal with everything that was dealed to me; Gundam pilots, assassins, kidnappings, death threats, war obsessed girls, being Queen of the world, reestablishing our kingdom... you name it, and I've lived it!" She paused, "So even after all I've been through, I still don't even get the curtousy of respect from my brother. He *still* doesn't trust me enough to walk into my own backyard without having someone there to shadow me."  
  
She finally turned around to face him, and she immediately felt something stab at her heart. Her brother was...  
  
Crying?  
  
She'd never seen him this emotional before, and she found herself not even able to look Noin straight in the eye. "See? Look at what a horrible person I am! I've made you cry!" She began to cry even harder, and turned, running out of the room.  
  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  
  
Relena made the mad dash through the Preventer's headquarters, trying to avoid crashing into any objects including the Preventers themselves. She wiped her eyes as she entered the elevator, finally taking a good look at herself. Her hair was drooping out of the previously neat ponytail, her eyes were sullen, and her face as pale as china. There was a resounding *ding!* as the elevator doors opened. She was met with the confused faces of several Preventers, and immediately began to feel self-conscience.  
  
Then, she stopped dead in her tracks....  
  
....and for a moment, she couldn't remember where she was or where she was going.  
  
She shook her head, trying to make some sense of her current situation. Trying to hide the fact she was utterly lost in a building she knew like the back of her hand, she began to wander around, praying to catch someone or some map telling her the directions to Sally's office. Recognizing Sally's secretary, she continued down the hall, trying not to trip. The stares she was getting bore into her skull, and she suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. Her vision blacked out for a moment before she shook her head to try and regain focus. She knocked weakly on Sally's door.  
  
Out popped Wufei, in popped Relena.  
  
It must have taken him a moment to realize it was her, because he was studying her over very conscientiously. "Are you feeling well, Miss Relena?" He inquired, showing her into the office where Sally was on the phone in a "delicate" conversation.  
  
"Not really." Was her concise reply.  
  
"... Yes ma'am, I understand, but if we paid for everyone's damage then-" Sally continued with a rather annoyed look on her face.  
  
"What's going on?" Relena asked Wufei.  
  
"A lady called and asked to speak with someone; apparently, she wants us to pay for the damages to her home caused by a falling piece of debris." He explained.  
  
"... THEN MOVE THERE!" Sally yelled into the phone. Wufei fought back a smirk as she raised a threatening fist.  
  
"Next time, Justice Boy, you take the call yourself." Sally muttered as she slammed the phone down.  
  
"Onna!"  
  
"Man!"  
  
"ARGH!"  
  
"Um..." Relena began in a quiet voice, "Sally, I was wondering if I could have a word with you..." Sally smiled kindly, trying to hide her worry for the other young woman.   
  
"Sure, have a seat..." She turned to Wufei, "And you, Mr. Wufei, shall wait patiently outside my office until I come out to scold you."  
  
"UNJUSTICE-!"  
  
"Injustice my ass! Just go wait!" She stabbed her pointed finger towards the door, and Wufei, trying to find his sense of honor, sulked out the door.  
  
"My, you certainly have a good hold of him." Relena noted out loud, giving her friend a small smile.  
  
"Ah, well, you have to maintain some control over a man like him." She halted "What can I help you with?"  
  
Relena debated running out of the office right then and there. Could she muster up the courage to tell Sally about her memory lapse, the blood, and the brittleness of her body?  
  
"I had a fight with Milliardo this morning."  
  
Apparently not.  
  
"Really? I was under the impression that you wouldn't have anything to fight about anymore, now that the war is over." Sally let out a little laugh.  
  
"Sally I'm being serious." Sally was alarmed at her friend's strained look, "It wasn't like me at all, I just sort of snapped."  
  
"Relena, you and I both know that it isn't healthy for a person to hold in feelings. Bottling them up inside you only leads to such outbursts." She met they younger girl's tired eyes, "What were you fighting about?"  
  
"The war, trust, our parents, his 'death', just everything that I promised wouldn't be brought up again."  
  
"But it's good that you did, otherwise you'd carry it with you until you finally would snap."  
  
"But Sally..." She felt the pesky tears rising up again, "I made him *cry*- my own brother began to cry because of my scathing comments." Sally sat there in a daze for a spilt second. Milliardo Peacecraft aka Zechs Merquise aka Preventer Wind... crying?  
  
She almost didn't think he was capable of such a feat.  
  
"It's all right, 'Lena, you probably just struck at some fear deep inside his heart." Sally reasoned.  
  
"Like what?" Another bitter comment from Relena.  
  
"Maybe he just doesn't want to lose you again." Sally patted her friend's hand, "Relena, he's just doing what he thinks is right. I'm sure he trusts you, but he's probably just worried about what could happen to you when you weren't watching or paying attention."  
  
"You think so?" Her voice was hopeful this time.  
  
"I think so." A smile rewarded her for her faith. They sat in silence for a while until Sally began to talk about Duo and Hilde coming to work for the Preventers (much to Wufei's dismay) and Trowa and Catherine coming to town with the circus. But then, it all took a turn for the worse as Sally brought up the dreaded subject.  
  
"Relena, I must admit, you really don't look well."  
  
"Aw, not you too, Sally!" Relena faked a bright smile, the one she used for political conferences, and continued, "I feel fine! WONDERful!"   
  
"You're lying; I'm a doctor, dear, I can tell these things."  
  
"Damn." She muttered under her breath.  
  
"Are you having any... cramps, stomach pains, or fatigue?"  
  
"Fatigue... just a little..." Relena admitted sheepishly.  
  
"Headaches, nausea, or coughing?"   
  
Relena didn't reply, fearing the diagnostic report that was soon to come.  
  
"Memory loss, blacking out, or clumsiness?"  
  
"..." Was Relena's only answer.  
  
"You're acting like Trowa, dammit!" Sally cracked a smile in the tenuous situation. Headaches, nausea, coughing, memory loss, blacking out, and clumsiness? What could be wrong with the ever-graceful princess and politician?  
  
"Relena, I'm going to need you to tell me everything, or I can't help you."  
  
"No... I can't..." Relena muttered, looking away, remembering only the blood, the pain, and those deep cobalt blue eyes...  
  
"Sleep deprival, general clumsiness, lack of coordination, blackouts, nausea, and memory loss." Came a voice from a shadowed corner of the room.  
  
Sally and Relena both jumped a mile at Heero's sudden appearance, "I'm sorry Heero, but you can't be in here while I'm giving Relena a checkup-"  
  
"A month ago is when the symptoms started, beginning with tiredness and nausea." He gave her a emotionless glance, "Will you tell her about the blood, or will I have to?"  
  
"What blood?" Sally sounded worried.  
  
"I followed her upstairs after I watched her stumble a few times, when I came upstairs, she was in the bathroom vomiting blood." Relena looked away, utterly disgusted with herself. Sally tried to remain calm as she turned to her friend, "Relena... have you-?" She never got to finish, because Relena stood up and looked absolutely furious at Heero, "No more questions today Sally, I have a meeting now."   
  
"Please, Relena-!" Sally motioned for her to stop, and Heero grabbed her delicate arm. Relena almost winced in pain at his iron grip. "You're being reckless with your life."   
  
She ripped her arm out of his grip and exited the room. Sally looked to Heero helplessly, "You can't make her do anything she doesn't want to."  
  
"And that will be her ultimate downfall." Heero muttered, following Relena's path. Just before he left the office entirely, Sally called out softly to him, "Heero... Relena could be dying, make sure-" She choked slightly on her words, "-make sure you bring her back." Heero just nodded wordlessly.  
  
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I know it's taken me forever and a day to get this next part out. Thanks for all the reviews! Please keep them coming! Luvs and hugs, Acky :)  
  
PS Black Rose-chan, I'm sooooo close to be done with the main layout of your site, a few more days...  
  



	3. His Mission was fading away...

Black Waltz (part 3)  
By Chibi Acky  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing... blah, blah, blipty, blah.  
Author's note: Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much to everyone who's reviewed this story! I love you all! I promise I'll try to get chapters out faster (this includes the partially done part of The Scavenger Years and the unstarted Circle Game) if time allows me to...  
  
(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(  
"Am I dreaming....or is this a definite nightmare?"  
-Ryo (Ronin Warriors)  
  
^(^ (^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^(^  
  
Relena stormed out of Sally's office, quite of unsure of why she was shaking. Pausing to regain to composure, she slid into the bathroom, and tidied up her appearance. She didn't look into the mirror; she knew what would be there if she did.  
  
A thin, tired, girl.  
  
She left the bathroom in great haste.  
  
[Later]  
  
"...and so in conclusion..." Relena droned out again as the speaker of the house lectured on, and on, and on... Her meetings with the World Delegate lately had been very, VERY tiring for her. The room was shaped much like a coliseum, with all the Delegates circling the very center with the Speaker and the main podium. Each Delegate was given two seats and a table with a microphone and a glass of water.   
  
Noin nudged her sister in-law, who was seemingly staring into outerspace. "What are you doing?" She scribbled on a piece of paper.  
  
She shook violently, as if she had just been awakened, "Sleeping." Her response confused Noin slightly. Sleeping? With her eyes open? Relena gave her a wink and turned back to the speaker who was addressing her.  
  
"So, Vice Foreign Minister, what are your views on the subject?" Noin narrowed her eyes slightly at the man. Robert Welsh was a wealthy man whose black hair speckled with gray. His piercing green eyes bore into you with no mercy, and it was obvious to anyone who had heard him speak to the former Queen of the World, that he wanted her job.  
  
"Why are my views important on this matter?" She shot back, slightly raising an eyebrow. Noin stood amazed yet again, how could she be so aware of everything even through slumber?  
  
"You're Vice Foreign Minister, what concerns the colonies should concern you." He challenged. Everyone in the conference room took a shallow breath as the fragile Minister stood up.  
  
"No, that's not quite what I meant. When I was asking why it should concern me, I was referring to the colonies being able to make their own decisions. Why are you asking me if the citizens on the colonies would rather elect their leader?"  
  
"It's your job-" Relena cut him off, victory in her grasp.  
  
"No, it's not my job to decide for them. Shouldn't we let them? I'm proposing that we poll both the people of Earth and the colonies on whether or not the president of ESUN should be an elected official." She paused, "But not just the president, because that would only limit their rights so much. Shouldn't we let them elect people as their representatives too? Why are you and I even holding this job?"  
  
"Rubbish!" Robert Welsh seemed absolutely flabbergasted at the idea.  
  
"-It's because you and I were trusted enough by the founders of ESUN to lead the people. But should the question be not ESUN trusting us, but rather the people?" Relena sat back down, all eyes of the country representatives on her.  
  
Quatre stood up, drawing all eyes to him, "She's absolutely right-"  
  
"Mr. Winner, the speaker has not given you-" Robert tried to cut him off, but the blonde held a firm hand up stopping him. "In an essence, what I've done to you, is exactly what the colonies feel the earth is doing to them."   
  
Relena nodded confirming it, "He's completely accurate in his demonstration. My fear is another war is soon to spring up just because of the feeling of insignificance." Oh, her head was spinning now, she put a hand on the desk she was seating at with Noin to try and steady herself.  
  
"The Delegate recognizes the President of the United Sates of America." Robert called as President Ashford stood to speak.  
  
The representative of America sent a kind smile in Relena's direction, "When the founding father's of our country first set up our nation, the smaller colonies- or rather the less populated, felt cheated by the idea of having a House of Representatives based on population. There was a compromise, and eventually, two houses were formed."  
  
"But what does this have to do with anything?" Robert called from the main podium.  
  
"Everything, Mr. Speaker. Our country gave up most of it's freedoms to be allowed in this World Nation. While I may be President of the United States, I'm not quite entitled to the same power as the presidents in the past. However, if I were to deny my people the same right that allows them to vote me into office, they would forever lose that feeling of equal rights."  
  
"So, you're agreeing with Minister Darlian?" Robert inquired.  
  
"Yes, I do suppose I am." President Ashford sat down.  
  
"The Delegates recognize the Representative of Spain."   
  
"President Ashford, you may think me ignorant, but as a native of Spain, I have no idea what rights you're talking about." His thick, heaving accent made it near impossible for Relena to understand him.  
  
"Mr. Representative, surely President Ashford wouldn't-"  
  
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Ashford paused, leaning forward in his seat, "The Declaration of Natural Rights, as directly stated in the Declaration of Independence." **  
  
Relena began to applaud, slowly but surely. It was as if he had summed up how a government should act according to a document that was hundreds of years old. The other delegates echoed her, and soon, the house was thundering.  
  
"ORDER! ORDER!" Robert cut in, "Minister Darlian, for the records, what are you proposing exactly?"  
  
"The decision of whether or not..." She blinked and tried to clear her vision, "... we should have the colonies vote on if they would like to..." She began to sway as though the world was moving beneath her, "... elect candidates as..."  
  
Suddenly, all she could see were Robert Welsh, and his cruel, cruel smile. Bastard, I'm gonna say it, even if it kills me...  
  
In almost a final stand she stated clearly, "... their representatives and President." She finally did slip, all her strength gone from her body. Noin almost screamed as her sister in-law slumped to the ground in a dead faint. Quatre jumped down from where he had been seated, and rushed to her aide.   
  
"Relena, RELENA!" Noin was slapping her cheek, "Will someone...call an ambulance!?"  
  
"No, there's no time." Noin and Quatre looked up to be met by a pair of cold blue eyes. "Heero-?"  
  
"There's a traffic jam, the ambulance wouldn't be able to get close... call Sally at the hospital, she should be on shift today, I'll meet her there." He scooped Relena up out of the stunned Noin's arms.  
  
He began a full run, carrying the small girl in his arms as he dodged Representatives and the overcrowding reporters. "Sir! What's wrong-"  
  
"Is Minister Darlian-?"  
  
"Can you answer some questions for W10KFNN?"  
  
"BACK OFF!" At the door stood four extremely annoyed people. "Give the man some room!" Hilde screeched. Duo, Wufei , and Trowa winced at the pitch of her voice.  
  
Heero ran right by them, and outside into the crowds of people waiting to catch a glimpse of their savior. As soon as they realized it was Relena in the arms of the Preventer, some began to cry, some screamed, and even more stood silent.   
  
Horns blared and sirens were heard as Heero continued towards the hospital. Unfortunately, he had reached the point of the traffic jam, and it was only a sea of cars. Deciding it was the only way, he jumped from car hood to car-hood, ignoring the profanities flying from the owner's mouths. His mission was her.  
  
His mission was slowly fading away.  
  
++++++++++=++++++++++  
  
When he finally did get to the hospital, he was greeted by Sally and numerous hospital staff members. It was all a blur after that.   
  
They had hurried her into the ER, and two hour had gone by. Surrounding him were... well everyone that cared for Relena in the slightest bit. Outside, hundreds of people waited, and inside, Reporters tried to sneak in, posing as fake Preventers or "family."  
  
The only reason Trowa, Duo, and Hilde had been at the meeting was they had just arrived at work for the Preventers, and were sent to the meeting to "keep order." Wufei had followed them, having merely nothing else to do while his partner was making the rounds at the hospital. Noin had put a comforting arm around her husband, who had his face buried in hands. Dorothy and Quatre had made a snack run, and Duo, several attempts to keep Heero from killing the flirting nurse staff.  
  
"This is all my fault." Milliardo muttered, All my damn fault... what's wrong Relena?  
  
Heero was glaring at everyone exiting and entering the ER in haste. One ran out covered in scrubs stained with blood, and Heero nearly had the nerve to ask what was happening.  
  
Almost.  
  
But not quite.  
  
"Milliardo! THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT!" Noin finally burst, "For Christ's sake, not everything in this world is your fault!"  
  
"Almost."   
  
"ARGH!" Noin threw her hands up in the air, and Hilde and Duo managed to snicker.   
  
"Name one problem in this world that wasn't my fault!" Milliardo challenged, looking up.  
  
"Relena's kidnapping during the Mariemaia incident."   
  
"Nope, if I had been there, she wouldn't have been taken."  
  
"Hmmmm...."  
  
[An hour later]  
  
"DAMMIT MILLIARDO! The Stock Market STILL would have crashed!"  
  
"But I could've..."  
  
"Face it, man, she beat you." Duo muttered, running a hand absentmindedly through Hilde's hair, as she had fallen asleep in his lap.  
  
There was constant bantering back and forth between everyone in the room until Heero's piercing voice, well, cut through.  
  
"How is she?"  
  
Startled, everyone looked up to be met with the face of a weary Sally Po. They sat in silence as Duo nudged Hilde awake. "Sally? Oh god she's-" Dorothy covered her mouth, praying to whatever God was above that her friend hadn't passed on.  
  
Sally gave a small sigh, which turned into a quirky smile, "She says she wants to see Dorothy and Hilde." There were collective sighs of relief. "So she's all right then?" Hilde and Dorothy tore past her throwing the door open to the recovery room and vanishing inside.  
  
Milliardo and Heero both made a move to follow, but Sally blocked their path. If looks could kill, she would have been deader than a doornail, but she supposed that was what made her job as a Preventer worthwhile. "Gentlemen, a word?" She motioned for them to sit down.  
  
They didn't budge.  
  
No surprises there.  
  
"Look, she asked for Hilde and Dorothy. I'm sorry if she's not ready to answer your questions!" Sally threw her arms up in the air hopelessly, "She needs support, not accusations, not people who don't TRUST her." She shot a angry glance at Milliardo who finally nodded and sat back down.  
  
"Sally, you never told us what's wrong-" Sally cut Quatre off, "That's because we're not quite sure what's wrong with her."  
  
"What?" Wufei leaned back in his chair.  
  
"It's just what I said... when Heero brought her in, her heart had stopped beating and she wasn't breathing." Everyone in the room winced, "We're running some blood tests, but it's a miracle that she's alive. Truly, it is."  
  
Noin was practically crying, "Is she-?"  
  
"I don't know, honestly, I don't know..."  
  
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]  
  
"Weeeeeeelllllll! Good mornin' sunshine!" Hilde knelt beside Relena's hospital bed.  
  
"Not...so... loud..." She croaked in a dry voice.  
  
"Ooops! Sorry!" She whispered.  
  
"Miss Relena, would you like something to drink?" Dorothy smiled as Relena nodded enthusiastically. On the table besides Relena sat a pitcher of water, and Dorothy poured a glass and handed it to her friend, "Sorry, there's no lemon.... sheesh! The service these days!" Relena and Hilde laughed.  
  
"I must look awful." Relena sat back against her pillow. Hilde and Dorothy glanced her over. Her hair was matted, her face pale, and her lips chapped.  
  
"Uh... you look fine!" Hilde shot Dorothy a look to shut her up.  
  
"That bad, huh?" Relena tilted her head to the side to side and stared out the window, "You're both mad at me for not telling you, aren't you?"  
  
"Not as mad as your brother." Hilde patted her on the hand reassuringly. "I swear, you should have heard the poor man, he was almost in agony."  
  
"Did he cry?"  
  
Both girls opposite her seemed surprised, but shook their heads. "Oh, that's good then." Relena muttered.  
  
"You know it was Heero that brought you here, don't you." Dorothy wasn't asking a question. Relena merely nodded, "Has he left?"  
  
"Amazingly, no. Though he keeps reaching for his gun when a nurse comes up to him." Hilde winked at her friend, "I still think he's hopelessly in love with you!"  
  
Relena said nothing but hurt shone clearly in her eyes. Dorothy elbowed her in the stomach, hard, and Hilde fell over. "Arrghhhhh... Dorothy!" Hilde tried to find purchase on Relena's hospital bed.  
  
Giggling, Relena shook her head, "You two crack me up."  
  
"Aw, she likes us Dorothy! She really likes us!"  
  
"Naw, she loves us!" Dorothy gave her a wink as Sally opened the door, "All right, girls, enough chit chatting! Relena needs her rest!" She called in a mock-mother voice.   
  
"But SAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLY!" The three younger girls whined.  
  
"Don't 'but Sally' me!"  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
"...Lena?"  
  
Was someone calling her name?  
  
"Relena, can you hear me?"  
  
"Ugh... Milliardo?" She groaned, trying to blink her eyes open. She was met with a concerned pair a light blue eyes.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
Boy, what a stupid question. Relena thought, trying to fight back another groan, "Somewhat."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Look I'm so sorry-"  
  
"It's all my fault-"  
  
Silence.   
  
Then came the laughter. "You go first."   
  
"No, YOU go first."  
  
"No, it's quite all right if you go first!" Zechs insinuated.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about what I said... it's just lately I haven't been precisely... myself. I never thought it would just... all come OUT." She paused looking hopefully at him. She was rewarded with a kind smile.  
  
"My turn I guess.." He fumbled slightly, "I'm not that good with things like this..." He took a deep breath, "Now, I've done a lot of thinking, and I've come to find that I may not be the world's best older brother-"  
  
"That's-"  
  
He held up a hand to silence her, "You really think purposely trying to destroy everything on the world, would qualify me to such a high rank? I admit it, I'm a coward when it comes to facing my problems, pretending to be dead so you wouldn't have to suffer with the knowledge of having scum like me related to you..." He trailed off, and his looked away. A small, cold hand, gave his a reassuring squeeze.  
  
"Don't you think I've already forgiven you. I wouldn't care if you blew up the entire universe- as long as you were fighting for what you believe in." She gave a bitter laugh, "If running away from your problems makes you a coward, then that makes two of us. For the longest time I ran away from the truth, hiding behind a false mask... look where's it's gotten me...  
  
"It takes a brave person to face the truth and suffer the consequences, but an even greater soul to live through it all and come back stronger than ever." She smiled at her brother. She didn't even mind the stinging pains in her body as her brother gave her a hug.  
  
"You're never going to trust me again... are you?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-  
  
Sally rubbed her eyes for what seemed like the twentieth time. No tumors, no virus, no nothing. Adjusting her microscope, she prepared to take the last look for the night. Instantly she saw what she that would have been impossible to miss. Almost in disbelief, she readjusted it again and again, hoping- no, praying that this wasn't the sample of her friend's blood.  
  
"Oh my god... no..." Her sobs echoed through the empty laboratory.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
** Is it just me that has to say the Declaration of Natural Rights every morning after the morning announcements? I mean, it's rather riduculous having the national anthem, the Pledge of Alliegance, a moment of silence, AND the Declaration of Natural Rights... please tell me I'm not the only one that has to suffer through this...  
  
Dun DUN DUUUUUUUUNNNNN! You know what I just realized? My fics can get pretty boring 'cause I enjoy writing conversation too much. *sighs* Oh well ^^;  
  
Please Review to keep me going!  
  
luvs and hugs  
Chibi Acky  
  
  



	4. I won't let you die

Black Waltz (part 4)   
By Chibi Acky   
Disclaimer: N.O. (which also stands for "No Own" but could work as something like NO!   
I don't own it! Which brings me to the point of realizing I've been rambling...) 

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()( 

"You taught me that life doesn't last forever. That's why we have to help each other and   
live life to the fullest." 

- Freya Crescent (Oh God, I'm still on my FF9 kick...) 

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() 

All of his life, the man had been an outcast. An ugly and deformed one at that. 

Since the scars had formed, he had had to hide himself, living in the shadows of the slums.   
But not anymore... not anymore. 

"So... I'm assuming everything went well..." The voice behind the chair was almost light   
hearted. The physically and emotionally scarred man was surrounded by a normal office,   
but he still didn't know who his employer was. 

"Yessssss..." His voice was always scratchy and hoarse, "Wheeeennn wiiillll I geeeett my   
paaaaay?" 

The chair let out a high squeal as it twirled around, "In good time, my dear sir... all in   
good time." 

"Yoooooou're-!" 

A single gun shot rang pierced the air. 

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_   


"Un-uh. No way!" 

"Oh, you wimp!" 

"HEY! Give me a break here!" 

Relena pouted thoroughly from her hospital bed, "Duo...." 

The self-proclaimed Shinigami was turning a rather unflattering shade of green,   
"No really, 'Jousan... the food's all yours..." An evil grin lit up Relena's normally serene   
one, "And all this time I thought you were the toughest..." It didn't take more reasoning   
than that, for Duo began to shovel in Relena's "delicious" hospital food. With each   
passing bite, his face turned from green to pink to purple to blue, until he finally had to run   
from the room, covering his mouth. 

"What's wrong with him?" Catherine asked upon entering with Trowa, and in   
doing so, nearly choked on the strong aroma of flowers that had filled up the entire room.   
"My goodness, it looks like you're starting up your very own Botanical Garden in here..." 

A groan was heard from the bed, "Don't remind me... everywhere I turn, there's   
some bright happy flower staring back at me." Trowa shot Catherine a quick look,   
indicating she needed to say something. 

"Um... so how's the hospital food?" 

There were a few giggles and a faint, "I dunno, ask Duo." Catherine turned to   
look at Trowa, "You'd better go check to make sure he hasn't thrown up any vital   
organs." 

As soon as Trowa had left the room, Catherine whipped out a bag from her purse,   
"Hey 'Lena, guess what I have for you!" 

"Ooooooooh! Thanks Cathy!" Relena nearly squealed emerging from under the   
covers, as Catherine handed her the chocolate bars, "How did you know I was craving   
these?" 

"Oh I don't know... maybe that subtle 'Caaaaaatttthhhhhhyyyyy! Go get me some   
chocolate pleeeeasssseeeee!' was a hint." She sat down in the seat next to her friend's   
bed, "So what's cooking, sugar?" 

"Well, I have a headache, but that's pretty much it." Relena said as she chewed   
on one of her chocolate bars. Feeling slight sympathy she handed two of the back to   
Catherine, "Can you do me another favor? Give one to Heero and tell him thanks... and   
when Duo's able to stand the sight of food, will you tell him I'm sorry?" 

"Will do." 

There was a pregnant pause as Catherine put the two candy bars away, "So... has   
Heero come in to see you yet?" A downhearted sigh escaped Relena's lips, "Not really...   
he hasn't talked to me, but at night he stands at my door and keeps guard. I don't know if   
that really counts though." She gave Catherine a wink, "I'll snag him sooner or later!" 

Their laughter was interrupted as a knock was heard at the door. In popped Sally   
Po with a strange expression on her face. "Hi girls, what are we talking about today?" 

"The usual." 

"Ah... then you won't mind if I ask you if I can talk to Relena about something   
alone." 

"Oh! No, that's quite all right!" Catherine stood up, "I'll be back in a little while,   
okay?" 

"Yeah, sure... bye Cathy!" 

"Bye Relena." 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

"Now Relena... we don't have to tell anyone..." 

"No, that wouldn't be right...." Her voice was apathetic. 

"Oh Relena... I'm so sorry!" Sally was crying again. Since when did she start crying over   
death? 

"Why Sally? Why waste your tears? I have the full intent of living." Relena patted her   
friend's hand. 

"Don't worry Miss Relena, I won't let you die." 

Relena leaned back against her starched hospital bed pillow, "Sally, do you think I could   
have some time alone...?" 

"Of course!" 

"Don't let anyone come in until I tell you I'm ready to talk about it...." With that, Sally   
left Relena alone. 

][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][ 

Outside of Relena's room, ten anxious people watched as the normally stalwart Sally Po   
silently shut the door to Relena's hospital room. She leaned back against the wall, slowly   
sliding down and resting her head against the unforgivingly bright white wall. She rested   
her forehead against her stethoscope, and breathed a heartrenching sob. 

"I have some bad news." 

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{} 

All alone in her room, a young woman sat staring from her window. Down below her,   
hundreds of people lined the hospital, lighting candles, setting down flowers, and crying. 

"I'm not dead yet." Relena murmured as she shut the impeccably white curtains of her   
room. Carefully wheeling her IV back over to her bed, she carefully tucked herself back in   
bed. A few minutes passed by as she sat in silence. 

So this is what it feels like to be dying.... how very... pleasant....> She trailed her slender   
fingers along her scratchy and coarse bed sheets. Funny I don't feel any different.> 

"I just feel the pain in my heart." Suddenly, she wished the ground would just open up   
and swallow her whole. 

"Oh... but it'll be hurting a whole lot more when I'm done with you!" Relena's eyes   
snapped up from off of the floor. She made a lunge for the paging button, but a gun was   
instantly drawn to her head, "Go ahead, I'm going to die anyway, aren't I?" 

"Of course, but my dear, we want your ultimate demise to be a little more... painful..." He   
jabbed the needle into her arm, covering her mouth with his hand to keep her from   
screaming. 

When the job was done, the figure slipped out of her room, and into the night. 

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""' 

"So that's it then, there's nothing we can do?" Milliardo's voice was tight in his throat,   
and his grip on Noin's hand was nearly cutting off her circulation. Sally merely shook her   
head, "I'm sorry..." 

"SORRY ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH!" Hilde anger surprised everyone, "She's my friend,   
Sally! She's my best friend!" Almost embarrassed, she fled from the room, leaving a   
stunned Duo in her wake. He stood up, sadness etched in his eyes, "I'll go calm her   
down." 

Silence. 

"This can't be happening... not to Relena..." Quatre buried his face in his hands, passing   
them through his tousled blonde hair. He looked up suddenly, as if remembering an   
important detail they had all left out, "Uh... where's Heero?" 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

Heero Yuy, the man also known as the Perfect Soldier, stood at the end of a pristine   
hospitable bed. The girl that lay before him was still, mumbling softly in her sleep,   
"Heero, why are you here?" 

He blinked once. 

So she was awake. 

"Silence as usual... I just wish I could get inside that head of yours just once." She smiled,   
indicating with a tilt of her head that he should occupy the empty chair next to her bed.   
He obeyed, sitting down rather gracefully. 

"...No you don't..." 

"I'm sorry, what?" Relena raised a delicate eyebrow. 

Silence, again. 

"So..." Relena began, staring straight ahead. Oh yeah, great conversation starter, girl!>   
Heero didn't even bother to glance in her direction. Oh, I know what's he's thinking   
about... Sally must have already told them...> 

"Heero, it's not your fault." 

He turned to her finally, his eyes extremely cold, "Yes. It is." 

"Stop it, just stop it right now!" She poked a free finger at him, "You're always doing   
this to yourself!" She waved her arms around, "This... illness... or whatever this is...   
couldn't be your fault!" 

"I should have protected you." 

"How could you have protected me from myself, huh Heero? This is my fault. My fault   
for being sick." Heero hung his head, seemingly in defeat. Why did her logic always   
make perfect sense to him? He was whacked on the head again, startling him out of his   
reverie. 

"You're brooding again!" She accused, a small smile playing on her face. Heero... don't   
look so sad for me...> 

"Sorry." He mimicked her tone almost perfectly. 

Silence, yet again. 

"You know, don't you? You know you're going to die, so stop acting as if nothing's   
wrong in the world!" Heero's sudden outburst of emotion nearly made Relena shrink   
back in fear. 

"Who said I'm going to die? Fate has interesting way of tormenting us just to test our   
strength. I figure this is mine. This is my test, Heero, just let me try to pass it myself." 

"No. I won't let you die." He's voice was firm, and almost imperious. 

"But what if I'm in so much unbearable pain, Heero, that I simply couldn't go on?" 

"I wouldn't let you die." 

"But that's rather selfish, isn't it?" Relena leaned back against her starchy pillow, "You'd   
keep me alive in so much pain? Why Heero?" Maybe she'd get him to say it. 

"I won't let you die." Heero paused, "You're too important to the world."You   
weakling! Just tell her already!> His mind scolded him. No. He wouldn't. 

Not just yet. 

To the world? What about you, Heero? What am I to you? Just another mission?> For   
some odd reason, the thought enraged her. 

Relena shut her eyes, and turned to lay on her side the best she could with numerous tubes   
attached to her body. 

"Go Heero." He didn't move. 

"GO HEERO!" She shouted, obviously trying to hold back tears. 

He left without another word spoken between them. 

"Just go Heero..." She whispered into her pillow as she felt a familiar pain inside her   
body.   


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Oh, I know, I'm SO lazy. Just call me the queen of procrastination.... *grumbles about   
the injustice of life* Anyways, I'm working on The Scavenger Years, which has just   
picked up like ten or so more reviews ( ^^; ?) Why now? Thanks for them anyway.   
Please review this chapter, sorry it took me so bloody long *sings* blame Final Fantasy,   
blame Final Fantasy! 

luvs and hugs   
Chibi Acky 

http://kupo.bored.org 


	5. "I only desire the angel..."

Black Waltz - (part 5)   
By Chibi Acky   
Author's notes: Yikes! It's been awhile, hasn't it? *sheepish grin* I've been grounded   
from my computer for the past week. -.-; Yes, I know, it was traumatic for me too. I   
seriously went through computer withdrawals... *laughs* I had to sneak on at school...

Thanks for the few that took the time to review the last part! I love you all to death! And   
Rose, if you're reading this, I'll send you the "rough layout" for the site soon, okay?   
Have there been any responses yet?   
-------------------------------

Disclaimer: No own. No money. You still want to sue?

________________________   


Joe Milton was just your adverse human being. He had sharp, well defined features,   
accented by his black-rimmed spectacles that perched themselves on the bridge of his   
nose. He'd been born in Arizona, grown up in the polluted city of Phoenix, and had made   
the move to Brussel after receiving his diploma and doctorate in the medical examination   
field. One would have thought that a bright future would lay itself in his journey through   
life, but now, he found himself in a cramped office with a lone computer he'd named   
Diablos for the hell of it.

So imagine his face when the world-renown Sally Po entered. Her hair was pulled back in   
their customary braids, and her normally cheerful face was now downcast with a frown.

"Joe." She nodded, finally acknowledging his existence, "I have a favor to ask..."

"Oh, really?" Joe tried not to sound too intrigued.

"Yes. Really." She pulled out a small item he instantly recognized as a blood sample, "I   
need you to run a few quick tests on this for me."

"What am I looking for?" He asked, taking it gingerly.

"Anything suspicious." She called, leaving the room.

"Right... 'Anything suspicious'.... god, I don't get paid enough." The man grumbled,   
adjusting his stiff white coat. Sliding his black chair over to one of his numerous   
microscopes, Joe placed the slide of blood onto his microscope. Adjusting the lenses like   
an experienced pro, he finally found the perfect view. He glanced it over...

...and he blinked.

And he blinked again.

"Holy shit." He muttered, going as far as to attempt to clean one of microscope lenses.   
"Holy mother load of shit." He repeated.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Silence.

"Nice day isn't it?" Duo's attempt to break the silence was met with the angry stare of his   
girlfriend.

"Duo, we brought you along because you said you wanted to visit Relena, but if you're   
going to just act like an idiot, you can go."

"Oh, I feel *so* loved." Duo cried sarcastically.

"Aw, don't worry Duo! Relena still loves you!" Relena flashed him a smile.

"See? SEE? Even after she feeds me the killer hospital food, she continues to mock me!"

"What's going on?" Wufei and Sally entered the room, planning their timing perfectly.

Silence again.

"We were having a group mocking session of Duo." Dorothy explained, winking at both   
Hilde and Relena.

"Sounds like fun!" Wufei chimed in, "Mind if I join?" Duo's face contorted into a look of   
anger, and Sally smacked him upside the head. "Wufei, do try to be nice."

"Oh, but that's really not my nature!"

Duo grumbled something to the effect of, 'Fine then.' and stomped out of the room.

"You know, I do kind of feel bad." Relena thought aloud, "Kinda." There was a thick   
silence that fell over the room, before a figure entered the room, loaded down to the max   
with an extremely full bag that read "MAIL" across the front.

Dumping the bag of the floor nearly sent the poor man down with it. "Quatre?!" Dorothy   
cried, rushing over to him.

"I'm... o...kay..." he gasped, leaning against the wall, "Just... a... little... out of breath..."

Major sweatdrops.

"Dear lord, what have we here?" Sally reached down to open the bag, "Letters?"

In fact, there were at least a few hundred letters to be accurate. All addressed to either,   
"Queen Relena" "Vice Foreign Minister Darlian" or "Relena Peacecraft".

Relena frowned, Dear Lord is right, Sally. Have these people nothing better to waste   
their time on?> "Here, let me see one..." Sally handed her the one she had in her hand,   
and Relena tore it open with her shaky hands. OH GOD! I KNOW this writing...>

Her worst fears came true.

Hey Relena!!!!!!!!!!!!   
Waz up girlfriend? How come u never reply to my letters? We miss u at school! Did u   
catch da sale at Macy's this weekend? Hey, what's da deal with u and that whole Vice   
foreign (the word foreign was crossed out twice with misspellings, and Relena could feel   
her mind freeze into an odd mental-lock) Minister thingy? I mean, how can u do ur nails   
with all the stress? YOU'RE SO LUCKY TO MEET ALL THOSE HUNKY GUNDAM   
PILOTS!!!!!!!!!! (Relena winced again, feeling everyone's eyes on her.) Hook me up wit   
da 411 girl! Are u sick or sumtin'? Why r u in da hospital?

Luv ya,   
Susanna

Susanna was one of the girls that adored Relena when she was still in school. She knows   
where I am, it's only a matter of time...> Relena's eyes burned with fright.

"I can't take it anymore, lemme see!" Hilde cried. Relena handed the letter over to her   
friend.

"... the hell is this jibberish?" She muttered, handing it to the others.

"Can I see the rest?" Sure enough, every letter was written with the same handwriting.

"What do you want me to do with these?" asked Quatre.

"I want you to burn them. Burn them all." Relena answered in a flat tone, "Then scatter   
their remains into the wind." For some odd reason, Quatre didn't seem to have a problem   
with it. As if on cue, Sally's pager went off.

She glanced down, Done so soon, Joe?> "I'll be back in a few minutes..." Sally excused   
herself rather anxiously, gathering curious stares from the others around her.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Well... in all my days, I've never seen anything quite like this..." Joe mumbled, handing   
her the printouts.

"Wait... well I'll be damned." Sally shook herself out of her stupor. "All this time, I had   
thought that they were trying to poison her system, and break it down... but they're doing   
the opposite. They're cleansing it!"

"As in destroying all of the bacteria in her body that she actually needs to have in there."   
Joe rubbed his forehead. This is all giving me a headache..> He spun his chair around to   
face his computer.

"I've never heard of anyone doing this before... who is the patient...?" However he was   
only answered by the slamming of the door.

"Figures."

_______________

"YOU SAID WHAT?!?!" Milliardo backed away in fear, hiding behind his wife. Relena,   
even in her poor state, was absolutely fuming with anger.

"That you had a case of pneumonia..." He whimpered uncharacteristically, "Nothing too   
serious..."

Noin stepped in, "Relena, they know you're in the hospital, but they don't know why."   
She paused, gathering her thoughts, "And for all we know, you could just have a bout of   
pneumonia." The shutting of the door indicating someone had entered.

"It's a little bit more complicated than that..." Sally's voice trailed off. Milliardo nodded,   
as if to encourage her. "Relena...?"

"It's all right, Sally. They can stay."

"Are you sure...?" Sally seemed to squirm almost uncomfortably under their intense gaze.   
That's when Noin knew that something terrible was wrong....

"It's quite complicated, but I'll break it down in the simplest terms I can think of..." She   
paused, "The body is known to have several forms and 'breeds' of bacteria in it. Some of   
these are harmful, but others are vital to our survival, such as the vaccinces we were given   
when we were young. Are you following?" All three others nodded, "These vaccines   
build up our immune system, preventing us from deadly diseases. I've never seen anything   
like what's happening to Relena... my first thought was that you were just ill, and you   
fainted from fatigue and stress... but then..."

"So you're saying that I'm going do die of something petty like the common cold... all   
because I'm loosing my immunity?" Relena thought it over and then said, "So it's kind of   
like the AIDS virus, then?"

Milliardo look like he was ready to have a seizure.

"No, nothing like that... this.... this is cleansing your body of all the impurities, and while it   
does wonders for cleaning up any viral strands of the flu." Sally was still amazed,   
"Imagine... this could be the only cure for the common cold..." She tapped her index   
finger to her chin thoughtfully, "How amazing..."

"... that I am just going to happen to die from it." Relena muttered, rolling her eyes   
uncharacteristically.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE!!!" Milliardo jumped to his feet, and began to pace   
frantically, "YOU HEAR ME?!?!" He was shaking her shoulders, but Relena seemed   
unfazed by her brother's outburst.

"You're hurting me."

"Oh! Oh! I'm so sorry!" He threw his arms around his younger sister, and began to sob.   
Sally turned to Noin and said under her breath, "I told you, Noin... only one sleeping pill   
per day... otherwise he gets moody..."

"Oh I know, but you have to admit, it's still pretty funny to see him this way..."

"...it's okay Milliardo, I promise I won't die..." She patted him on the back like a mother   
to her toddler.

"Promise?"

Relena didn't answer.

+++++++++++++++++

A lone man sat in the darkest corner of his office. The shadows on the walls danced   
around him, as if communicating with him. His wine glass sat on his black marble desk,   
and his thumb nimbly ran around the edges of the glass. To his left, a picture of a stunning   
young woman, her golden hair tied up. Held tightly in his hand was a scrap of paper with   
a verse from the Bible he had hand copied himself.

Setting down the paper and reaching for the picture, he let a strange smile slip on his face   
as he traced his pinky finger along the curves of her smiling face.

"You have sent your messengers to save the earth from the colonies, my Lord. Your   
angel has guided us to peace. I only desire the angel."

He seemed to be holding an imaginary conversation with himself.

"Your angel has been tainted. I only wish to cleanse her of her sins before returning her to   
you." He let his fist crush the delicate wine glass, and didn't flinch as the red wine   
mingled with his blood.

For an instant, the shadows seemed to smile back at him.

________________________________   


Wow! I'm done! I know, I know... Milliardo was waaaaaay OOC, but ya know what? I   
can't seem to write him any other way... Bad Noin for drugging him just to get a kick out   
of it! Bad!

I promise, the next part is almost entirely Heero/Relena... I have most of it planned out in   
my head...

luvs,   
Chibi Acky

Vist my [Blog][1]   
  


   [1]: http://www.users.qwest.net/~dsbracken/blog.html



	6. “Dha Werda Verda...”

Black Waltz (part 6)  
By: Chibi Acky  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: I'm making absolutely BELOW $0 dollars off of this, so come sue me, you scary rich lawyer man! I'd like to see you try! Mwiehehehehehe....  
  
"Everything, including the present and the future, are in the flames of war. All are enveloped in the struggle---and becomes an illusion. So our lives and the smiles that are fading out, will surely make the new world.."  
  
--Translation from the chorus song of Ai wa ryuusei (Love Is a Shooting Star)  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The weary eyes of a young man studied the woman in front of him. Still unmoving and unresponsive, she would have given anyone the impression that she was too far gone to be saved. Still, he sat.  
  
And still he watched.  
  
And even more still, he waited.  
  
Behind the "plastic bubble" the doctors had set up around her, Relena didn't call out his name. She didn't ask for him to come back and kill her, and she most certainly didn't know that he was there. Sally had taken extra precautions by setting up an environment to save her weak body from any, and all, germs that could be hanging in the air around her.  
  
Relena... you were so full of life, but now... now you don't even make a sound.   
  
Sitting himself down on the chair next to her hospital bed, Heero Yuy, also known as the man with no emotions, sure felt a wave of something pass through him at that moment.  
  
Are you ever going to open your eyes again? C'mon Relena! I need to speak to you. I need to hear your voice again... call my name, Relena, I'm right here! He raked and hand through his untamed hair. He'd been there for three days without having a break for a shower, and he was sure that if she were - No, when she woke up, she wouldn't be pleased with his odor.  
  
I'm such an idiot! I should have just told her... you're a cowardly bastard, Yuy, and she's... she's dying. Gently, his fingers brushed up against the plastic, tent-like thing they had set up around her, "This is all my fault, Relena."   
  
He, almost in a daze, leaned down closer to her peaceful face, "I know this isn't some sickness, and I know something, or someone's trying to hurt you. I'm going to kill them, Relena."   
  
He paused to lean back in his chair, "Will you hate me then? I promised you that I'd never kill again, yet I have time and time again." He shook his head, "This is why we can't be together." Leaning in close, his voice was just slightly above a mere whisper, "Because I'd kill you, Relena. I'd kill you by killing others. You deserve better than that... you deserve better than me."  
  
"Who said I'm going to die? Fate has interesting way of tormenting us just to test our strength. I figure this is mine. This is my test, Heero, just let me try to pass it myself."  
  
His knuckles were gripped so tightly around the arm rests, that they had turned a ghastly shade of white. Relena, you've already passed your damn test. This is not a test, this is real life, and I know that now, because here you are... right in front of me, doing the one thing to promised me you wouldn't.  
  
"Relena-I... don't want you... to..." He couldn't finish the end of his sentence  
  
"But what if I'm in so much unbearable pain, Heero, that I simply couldn't go on?"  
  
"I wouldn't let you die."  
  
"I won't let you die..." he leaned in, so near that he could see the natural rose tint on her cheeks, "... because I love you."  
  
^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^|^  
  
"You know what sucks? This sucks." Hilde shoved the newspaper into Quatre's face, "Think this is a coincidence?"  
  
Quatre skimmed the title over, "Robert Welsh Elected Minister." He read aloud. From across the waiting room of the hospital, Wufei snorted.  
  
"Sounds like someone got lucky."  
  
"Sounds like someone was planning this." Dorothy corrected. Her eyes sparked up with new-found interest, "You don't suppose this was his plan all along, do you?" Milliardo had a dangerous look in his eyes, but remained silent.  
  
"You're proposing that it was Welsh that poisoned Relena to win her office?" Noin asked. Trowa nodded, "It makes sense... but I don't think we should jump to any conclusions just yet."   
  
"I agree-" Quatre was cut off but a rather loud argument that was occurring down the hall.  
  
"LET ME GO YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS BASTARD!"   
  
Silence.  
  
Wufei raised an brow, seemingly amused.  
  
Appearing no more, or no less than two seconds later, was a girl Duo guessed to be about their age, and she was literally dragging the two security guards after her. Her blonde curly hair was messy, and was constantly falling into her face. Turning to make some rude comment or crack a joke about the girl, his (lame) attempt was halted by the look of almost pure astonishment on Trowa's face.  
  
"Midii?" He called, causing everyone to whip their heads towards him- including the girl.  
  
She studied him for less than a split second before it occurred to her who he was. "Nanashi?" She whispered. He nodded, but the pleasant look in his eyes was vanquished my the resurfacing memory of her betrayal. Duo opened his mouth, obviously for another comment, but Hilde shut it, motioning for him to be silent.  
  
"Let her go, it's okay." Trowa dismissed the guards, but didn't budge from where he was standing. Straightening out her clothes indignantly, Midii uttered something under her breath about "... stupid no good hired guards... not nice 'cause they didn't get their doughnuts this morning..." Finally feeling the pairs of eyes burning into her back, she looked up.  
  
"I have information for you all, is there anywhere we could go that's more private?" She glanced around, almost as if she knew someone was watching from the shadows.  
  
"No, here is fine." Milliardo insisted.  
  
You're wrong... no where is safe... "...Whatever." Midii mumbled before clearing her throat, "There's a man that goes by the name of Paul, he's never claimed to having a last name. He's from the area of Ephesus, Turkey, from what I guess was a very religious family. He's got a small army of oil fleets now, and has thousands of alias', making it nearly impossible to track him down entirely. What we do know, so far, is..." She glanced up sharply towards the window of the third story of the hospital, something akin to a black shadow catching her eye.  
  
"Shit! Who's in the room with her?" She asked frantically. There was something wild- almost terrified in her eyes.   
  
"Heero-wait! Where are you going?" Trowa ran after her down the hall.  
  
*BAM* *BAM* Everyone on the floor above and below heard the two shots fired. Finally having the sense to run towards the noise, the rest of the group arrived to an almost unbelievable scene.   
  
Midii and Trowa were standing next to each other, while Heero was across the room; his gun outstretched, and still smoking from the last two shots. Hilde traveled with her eyes to where a dark figure stood cloaked, and in his arms, was a very familiar figure...  
  
"Relena!" She cried, pulling out her gun, nearly everyone else followed her suit, "Put her down!"  
  
"Puuuuuuut doooooown yoooooouuuuuuur weeeeeeaaaaapooons..." It hissed.  
  
"Dha Werda Verda..." They heard Midii whisper almost in shock.  
  
"Die's herding what?" Duo had a bemused look on his face.  
  
"Booten wooten lanlock vootem. Al a sinkee dunken pooten. Achta werda verda roll. Poonka dunkee loten cho." It called out in a foreign tongue.  
  
"Leeber soong whar tung tach picta! Manner manner migta richta! Scheleht carn toom-soing pa ho-grunten. Gersh ve dala funken mimpa. Droit! Ta Cropen wettkampf Zunken." Midii called back frantically, waving with her hands all over the place.  
  
"What did he say?" Duo asked bewildered, "And what language was that, exactly?"  
  
"The angel is mine. I shall seek her forth to her resting place. There is no way to save her now." Midii translated, "I'm trying to tell him otherwise..."  
  
"Verto verto taplasko ta verto!" She yelled, and then translated for the others, "She is worth nothing to you!  
  
"Kafee kafee xurm doom kaffee! Ausbroll mobist manner mockah! Ssstrung tartung tha stroong tartung!" It inched closer to the windows with Relena slung over it's shoulder.  
  
"She's worth it to us? She will bring us gold? The angel will make us rich, and then we shall kill her-!" Midii Une froze, watching in terror as the shadow creature jumped out of Relena's hospital window, and into the night.  
  
With the former Queen of the World in it's arms.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Do you have her?"  
  
"Yeeees, buuuuuut ooooouuuur paaaaay iiiiiis noooo wheeeereee tooo beeee fooouuund."  
  
"You will get your pay, all in good time, my friends... all in good time." Taking the young woman out of the arms of the ugly beast of a man, he gently set her down on his bed, and waved both Shadow Warriors away. Sharing a quick glance, the exited the room, leaving the man, and Relena.  
  
He took a well worn hand to her young cheek, and began to stroke it. "My angel... do you know how long I have waited for you? For this moment?" Paul of Ephesus let a quick laugh escape his lips, but doused it with another glass of wine.  
  
"God has entrusted me with this mighty revelation, to which I cannot disobey." He stared at her hospital scrubs with a mild look of disgust.  
  
"MIDII! MIDII!" He called his servant for several minutes before giving up and deciding to do the task himself. Reaching down into his bottom drawer of his dresser, he pulled out three things: a silk white dress, and golden cross on a chain, and ostentatiously decorated dagger. He slipped the white dress onto her, and sat her up. Taking several strands of her long golden hair, he reached for the brush he had prepared for her on his dresser, and began to stroke the hair gently. After he was successful in detangling her hair, he sorted it out half and began to twist and braid the top half, leaving the bottom to flow over her shoulders to reach the small of her back.   
  
He carefully laid her back down, smoothing her dress around her evenly. With just the faintest touch of white power, and lipstick, she truly appeared to have become someone of a supernatural state.  
  
Relena Peacecraft had become an angel.  
  
His angel.  
  
His angel that would win him a ticket back into heaven for all the wrong things he had done in this life, and his past.   
  
As he shut the door to his room behind him, being careful to lock it, he could find himself trying to only focusing on one thing: Creating the mask of Robert Welsh, yet again.  
  
  
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||  
  
"What the hell was that? Huh? HUH?" Duo cried into Midii's face, "You let him take her!" Midii, for once since the last time she had in front of Trowa, looked as if she might cry.  
  
"Duo!" Quatre snapped uncharacteristically, "Stop it! We didn't do anything either!" Duo, knowing that he'd been defeated, seemingly stepped down from the argument he had been about to create.   
  
"Oi, Heero!" He called, trying to startle the Perfect Soldier out of his revere. Heero's arm was still outstretched, as if the Shadow Warrior was still standing there. Milliardo walked over and took the gun from Heero's hand, and tossed it to the floor.   
  
"Snap out of it Yuy!" He shook the younger man's shoulders, at least expecting to get a good punch in the gut. But instead, he was rewarded with an even bigger surprise.  
  
"I... failed." Heero muttered the words as if they had been foreign on his tongue. I failed her again.   
  
Turning swiftly on his heel, he fled the room- almost... embarrassed, maybe?  
  
Midii shook her head sadly, "This is my fault... I should have tried harder, but those damn Taungs... I should have known that Paul would send them after her. No, I knew, but I just didn't know it would be so soon..." She clutched her head and whispered to herself, "Midii, you're such a screw up."  
  
Trowa placed a hand on her shoulder, "Whatever happened, happened for a reason. It's not your fault, that I promise you." Midii gave him a weak smile, but then turned her attention the rest of the group, "That 'thing' you just saw kidnap Ms. Peacecraft is called a Taung. It's an ancient tribe from somewhere deep in the rain forest. It roughly translates out into, 'The Warriors of the Shadow', or 'The Dark Warriors'. They're known for their agility, and almost inhuman-like strength and flexibly."  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Noin asked just as Sally burst into the room.  
  
"Because I worked for Mr. Paul... and I know all of his secrets."  
  
---------------------------  
  
wahahahahahaha! I like this story again, even though I'm going with a very typical "I must have the angel to return her to God" type of thing. Thank goodness for my creativity, otherwise mine would've been run of the mill along time ago!   
  
Okay, about the Taungs... these are actual things from the Star Wars Universe, highlighted in the BEST Star Wars novel, "Shadows of the Empire"... the spoken dialouge between Midii Une (The character from Trowa's past in Ground Zero... does anyone remember that?) and the Taung is from the poem "Dha Werda Verda"... shall I read you what it says about this stuff? Yeah, I think I will:   
Much has been written on this famous text. We are indebted ot the discoveries of space merchant and explorer Mungo Baobab, who found and preserved the Roonstones. Encoded into the crystal structure of the Roonstones was the earlist known text of Dha Werda Verda. It is considered original, and was translated in the Baobab Archives. The text was written five millennium before Coruscant's warlike primitive ancestors, a warrior race celled the Taungs, invaded and conquered the indigenous peoples. Dha Werda Verda recounts in epic poem fashion the legendary story of a batlle between the Taugns and the vanquished people, the Battalions of Zhell. The tid of the final battle was turned when a sudden volcanic eruption rained destructive ash onto the Zhell, smothering their city. Th epluem of ash rose kilometers into the sky, and cast a giant shadow over the land of the Taungs for two standed years. Thousnads of years of continual construction have turned the orginal site of this epic battle with Imerial City. Heceforth, the Taungs became known as "Dha Werda Verda."   
  
Ta dah! Did anyone REALLY read that? It was taken from the cover of my Shadows of the Empire CD... don't kill me...  
  
Thanks for the patience, and keep the reviews coming!  
  
Luvs,  
Chibi Acky  
  
http://www.mimarin.net/xela  
  



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